Creativity can thrive without alcohol and drugs. In the study, participants whose blood alcohol level (BAC) was slightly under .08 percent performed better in a creative task than did their sober counterparts. This can result in death if the body is not able to keep functioning beyond this point. Too many young poets, writers, composers, ... Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today. Change ). At this point, consuming any more alcohol, causing an excess of 0.35 BAC can result in coma and death. Check out our post that gives you five ways to shake your creative doldrums! While there is a hypothesis that alcohol’s disinheriting effects lead to more creativity via the ability to get out what is on one’s mind more easily, research seems to refute it, citing depressing effects on the brain (Runco & Pritzker, 1999). In fact, alcohol likely stifles creativity, especially if consumed in large quantities. Beveridge, A. Higher alcohol levels, up to around 0.18 BAC, leads to a more sleepy state (Freudenrich, 2011). Alcohol can improve your creativity. Freudenrich, C. (2011). In this stage, drinkers experience even slower reaction times; more extreme trouble performing typical motor skills, often causing clumsiness, and an inability to walk straight (Comer, 2005). In my personal experience, I think people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol create despite, not because of, their addiction. In fact, Beveridge and Yorston (1999) goes on to describe grizzly stories of physical and mental ailments suffered by a number of artists well-known for their boozing. PsycholRep 75(3 pt 2); 1635-8. Here’s the relevant piece of the conclusion: Alcohol may particularly play a role in mitigating fixation effects. Around 20% of alcohol consumed is absorbed through the stomach, while the remaining 80% is absorbed through the small intestine (Freudenrich, 2011). Weakening your ability to concentrate makes it less likely you'll get stuck on a problem. Or did it ultimately hinder the creativity? Alcohol can improve your creativity. Reisenbichler, L. (1995). Does alcohol fuel creativity? In creative problem solving, problems can often only be solved after a restructuring of the problem representation. Some think a substance will help them be more inspired or productive. Discovery Fit & Health. Worth Publishers, New York. This is the point at which many drinkers stop consuming alcohol, however, a BAC upward of 0.25 brings on a dangerous state in which motion is nearly completely hindered. Furthermore, while Gustafson and Norlander (1994) found that individuals tend to drink more after creative projects than non-creative projects, the individuals engaging in the creative behavior did little of their actual creative work while drinking or intoxicated. Another model discussed in Beveridge and Yorston’s article is the thought that artists are tortured and sensitive souls that turn to alcohol to dull their overly-sensitive and emotional view of the world and those around them. Rarely does anyone make the news for being creative and sober. Well, this is exactly science’s standpoint. It’s a romantic notion that writers, artists, and actors all derive a great deal of creativity out of drinking alcohol; and it often leads to the romantic ideal of the tortured soul. Beveridge and Yorston (1999) notes that artists generally view themselves as a separate part of society, as a different class that breaks conventions, and as such these artists turn to means of doing so, which includes alcohol consumption. But, what is really acting on the body, and scientifically speaking, how is alcohol producing these well-known effects?